KP's torn left ACL has brought me to tears.

Everybody’s Somebody

Chicago’s music scene is on fire. There are legions of dudes in the Windy City making records that will come to define this new age of hip hop. It’s a protein blend of trap and boom bap. It’s the perfect hybrid to unite the old heads and the kids coming up looking for a lane. Chance the Rapper, ShowYouSuck, Nick Astro, Auggie the 9th, Chandler London and soul-singing beauty Lili K are the new new, and their push is just in time to cloud the water before Kanye’s next cluttered opus swoops in and borrows all the shine.

Chance’s new project, Acid Rap, is a monster. His flow is ODB meets early Weezy, sprinkled with a touch of the Pharcyde for the druggish flair. He spits it as it blossoms in his brain, at times feeling disjointed, but entirely dope in all its stream of conscious glory. He’s twenty and just learning to walk all over production from Peter Cottontail, Jake One and Stefan Ponce. Chance cut teeth on the road with Childish Gambino and this project takes off where his debut, 10 Day, left off. Where 10 day chronicled his rise and eventual fall from high school grace, Acid Rap is the sound of a young talent dabbling in LSD and utilizing the lock on the studio door. When it cracks open hours later and the sun floods the room, there’s a pile of songs that sound as fragile as the mind they came from.

It’s a project that deserves all the critical acclaim certainly coming its way. And it’s free at http://www.chanceraps.com. If Acid Rap is any indication of the way we’re headed, I’m on board for the trip.